Myers ready to meet challengeTeam hoping new No. 3 starter is able to pitch about 200 innings

ZACHARY LEVINE, Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle |
April 3, 2010

Brett Myers threw 82 pitches in his six innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits against the Blue Jays.

While recorded history, such as it is for exhibition games, will give Brett Myers a no-decision in Friday's game, he earned his first of what the Astros hope will be many victories this season when he walked off the mound after his sixth inning.

Myers survived spring training.

It was certainly not a foregone end result given the way things have transpired in the Astros' medical ward this spring, and it was not a guarantee for Myers, who is 10 months removed from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip.

Myers, whom the Astros signed to a free-agent contract in the offseason, will start Wednesday night as the team named him, with little hesitation, the No. 3 starter. If the year goes the way they have planned, the career of the big righthander will continue its bizarre roller-coaster track.

Since his first full season in 2003 with the Phillies, Myers has pitched more than 175 innings five times and fewer than 75 twice with nothing in between.

He has bounced back and forth, as a result of last year's injury and the Phillies' need for him in the bullpen, from a long year in 2006 to a short year in 2007, to a long year in 2008 to a short year in 2009.

“I've been blessed enough to where I've had that arm that can just keep going and keep throwing,” Myers said.

He was limited to relief work after his return from hip surgery and had a nominal role in the Phillies' run to the World Series. The Astros are hoping for around 200 innings from Myers this year, which would in many circumstances be a hazard for a pitcher coming off a season that didn't even total 80 including his time in minor league rehab.

General manager Ed Wade is not considerably worried because of how Myers was able to go from a low-inning season in 2007 when he closed games to a full year as a starter in 2008.

“I think it's less of an issue with someone who's done it before than taking a guy who's coming off an injury and hasn't been there for a while or taking some guy and transitioning him from a relief role to a starting role,” Wade said.

Even if he gets to 200 innings, how effective the volatile 29-year-old will be remains a question. His ERA regressed under the varying circumstances in each of the last four seasons in Philadelphia, but he is likely due a bit of a boost from leaving one of baseball's worst pitching environments.

Myers threw 82 pitches in his six innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits. He lowered his tough-to-interpret spring ERA to 5.68, as he has experimented with more changeups and fewer breaking balls than he'll use during the season.

His strength is up to where he hoped it would be and even lobbied for more time on the mound Friday night.

“Without a doubt, I'm ready to go,” Myers said. “(Pitching coach Brad Arnsberg) said you've got one more inning — he told me that after the fifth inning — and I'm like ‘I can go a couple more if you want.'”

The Astros believe he will be a boon to the entire rotation with his placement in the No. 3 spot.

“Him sliding into our rotation means a lot to the two guys ahead of him and particularly to the two guys behind him,” Wade said. “If you've got (Bud) Norris and (Felipe) Paulino following those three guys, there's less pressure on them.”